Monday, May 14, 2012

Demyx: The Fall (One Shot)

Disclaimer: I do not own any Square-Enix titles such as Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. If I did, do you think I'd be writing here? Hell no, I'd be trying to get FFVI remade on the DS.

Author's Note: While replaying KHII once, I notice something about the scene in which Demyx faces Sora and company for the final time. When he steps out from the portal, he stumbles, as if someone pushed him out there, as if he had been forced out against his own will. This is my idea of what transpired.

The Fall

Combing a few stray strands of hair out the way, Demyx, a young Nobody walked the halls of The World That Never Was. He had been called by his superior.

What could they want now? He hopes it didn't have anything to do with fighting. Some of the other members looked on the act of ultimate violence as great fun. A game, if you will. He, however, hated it. To him fighting and battle were terrifying. Besides that, it brought them more trouble than they needed from the different worlds if and when they returned to one after a first session of wreaking havoc. All they wanted were their hearts back. The Hearts the people they once were lost or had taken from them either through their own foolishness or despair.

All that remained of the people they were once were made up this Organization. A band of incomplete beings robbed of their ability to truly feel the greatest joys of life. Left only with the negative emotions shed off by their former selves…as well as they memories. Oh, yes, though robbed of their Hearts and the ability to enjoy what could be called their lives, they remembered…and longed. Through each Nobody was a gaping void that begged for nourishment that always seemed to be beyond their reach. Demyx remembered how he had lost his own Heart. Oh, yes, he recalled it all too well. What a cocky young kid he had been.

'Whoa! No time to get nostalgic, Demmy,' he scolded himself. 'The Superior is just ahead in this next chamber.'

Something seemed to chill the air as he neared the last door separating him from Member #1. It always felt this way. Cold. It would only get colder as anyone got closer to…him. Almost like all of whatever warmth this fake world between realms had to offer was repelled by some malevolent force.

'Yeah, a certain malevolent force…' Demyx thoughy darkly.

In truth, he had never liked Xemnas, and he hoped it didn't show. Xemnas could scare a Heartless if he wanted. Not only that, but the leader made no attempt at hiding his contempt for Demyx's hesitant attitude when it came to combat or causing general mayhem on whatever world was lucky enough to caught in Xemnas's crosshairs.

'You're doing this because it's the only way," Demyx would repeat to himself as he would venture out.

He was here at last. He pushed the double doors before him open and entered the all white meeting chamber, where thirteen seats had all once been filled. Now only seven remained, as of Axel's desertion. Demyx dimly noted the loss in their ranks in some conflict over some kid with an over-sized key.

His train of thought was interrupted by the sounds of the room's other occupants. Xemnas was not alone. In many cases, it was good not to be alone with him. This was not one of them. You see, it was Saix who was with him, and that always meant trouble. The two of them were discussing some scheme or another, and had not noticed, or acknowledged, his presence yet.

"…of no further use to us. His lack of action in the Underworld has put our plans a step behind schedule, and this is not the first time," he heard Saix say.

Great. They were talking about him.

"Yes, these mishaps will be dealt with now," Xemnas replied to his guard dog, and turned to look directly at the sandy blonde-haired member.

"Hello, Superior. What's the sitch," Demyx asked.

He put on his usual light-hearted smile to and pretended that he didn't hear what they were talking about, or that he hadn't already figured this would probably be his last conversation.

"Ah, Demyx, always a pleasure," Saix also turned to him, his voice lined with venomous sarcasm. "Xemnas and I were discussing our plans, and you have a special role to play."

'I know. I'm to be thinned from the herd. I've become all too familiar with how you two deal with 'mishaps'," was Demyx's mental response, making no mistake of their intentions.

Xemnas raised a hand a gateway of darkness appeared next to the young Organization member.

"Right now, there is a battle raging in Hollow Bastian. It is a battle between the Keyblade Master, the Heartless, and our forces. We are currently preparing something…special. We need you to go be a roadblock to delay him."

"Wow, Superior. It's awfully dangerous going up against the Keyblade Master right when he's on the warpath. He might just kill anything that jumps out at him," Demyx stated plainly.

"You would refuse a mission, subordinate?" Saix cold voice rasped from just behind his left ear.

In that instant, Demyx's body froze in cold terror as he started to sweat, all attempts to play it cool dying at the shock.

'When he did do that? How did he get behind me so fast?' Demyx's mind reeled.

"The Organization has no use for those who will not obey or take action. Think of this as your chance," Xemnas smirked ominously. "Will you be going?"

Demyx could see Saix pull forth his weapon of choice, the Claymore, through his peripheral vision. His gaze went to Xemnas when the leader brandished one of his own sabers, though he remained sitting. Not that it mattered. Sitting. Standing. You were dead once Xemnas willed it.

'What a choice. Go fight Roxas and die, or by killed like a dog right here.'

Demyx turned to the pathway and started towards. Subconsciously, he stopped before stepping into it. Then Saix slammed into him from behind causing the blonde to let a 'oof' sound and he stumbled into the pathway. In mid transcend, Demyx spun around only to see the other Nobody's glaring face right behind him vanish as the passage closed.

He was suddenly dropped onto solid ground. Around him halfway repaired ruins and random piping, which did things he could only imagine.

'Where did they dump me…' he wondered, as he stumbled disoriented.

It was then that he heard footsteps coming up fast, behind him. The music enthusiast knew who it would be before he even bothered turning. There his death stood behind him flanked by his odd choice of traveling companions.

Back in Xemnas's throneroom.

"You closed all avenues of escape via the passages," Xemnas stated. It was a not question.

"Yes, the fool is quite trapped with them."

This statement was very true, as Demux found on his end as he tried to keep the Keyblade Master talking long enough to summon another passage to escape. The Nobody became disheartened and started to panic when none would open for him. He had turned to his head away to mask his growing fear of that cursed 'key' while delaying its wielder. He knew he couldn't fight them. He knew he couldn't outrun them. He knew they'd never let him go.

"Yeah, that's right! You don't even have feelings," The Keyblade Master spoke, remembering the lies that had been told to him.

That did it. Panic died, and in its place, the flames and anger burned. That was the last straw, those stinging words that had been uttered by so many before had had just been repeated by the one person above all others who should know better. The Nobodies were truly alone. Worse yet, his latest exchange with the Superior had just shown him that each Nobody was truly alone even when among other Nobodies. Xemnas had fully shown his true colors, as Demyx now knew the Superior was only in this war they had been waging for his own ends.

'We were all fools to follow him,' Demyx's mind registered.

Why else would he throw one of his own out into the cold to die?

Demyx's fists clenched as rage began to boil deep within him as the whole weight of the truth behind his current predicament and that he had never truly been getting closer to reclaiming his Heart while with the Organization came crashing down onto his shoulders. He had heard of the rebellion that was quelled in Castle Oblivion. Now he knew why there was one at all. Oh yes, now he understood perfectly.

'All for naught. Time to end this.'

The former member Number 9 stood tall for the first time in his incomplete existence. He then turned coldly to his opponent.